Matters of the Heart
by myemerald96
Summary: Matters of the heart require time, and patience, and at least one bottle of firewhiskey. She was happy being a nobody until she realized it was time to be somebody. Turns out being somebody can turn some heads. Hogwarts may not survive this one. "Cheers girls, hopefully the castle can hold up against the hell storm we are about to unleash on those boys."
1. Coffee Shop Revelations

"Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten"

"-and a tall cappuccino with cinnamon on top" a man with red hair and a matching mustache ordered while his eyes were still scanning the menu. I nodded and opened the beat up register that had tape covering nearly every inch of it, barring the keys and cash drawer.

I gave him his total and drummed my fingers on my dirty apron pocket while he dug for change. It wasn't until I reached for the money that something caught the very corner of my eye. A boy, well a _man_ was staring confused at the coffee makers and machines that were common in most coffee shops. Behind him another boy with glasses looked at the machines in the same way.

I heard a throat clear and realized the man had been holding the money out for me to take. I pulled my eyes away and murmured a quiet "sorry". I turned to begin his order and picked up the two boy's conversation.

"Prongs, I don't understand why we need to try this amazing drink when we have a perfectly good bin of firewhiskey under your bed." The taller boy whined.

The one with glasses shrugged, "I've heard Lily talking about this place to her friends and I thought we might be able to see her here". He leaned around the boy and scanned the room once more.

 _Lily Evans_

That was how they were so familiar, Jane realized. James Potter and Sirius Black had been in her classes since she was eleven years old, but this was the first time she would ever actually have to confront one of them, or worse both of them. It wasn't like she outright avoided them, they just happened to never cross paths other than a passing in the corridors or retrieving potion ingredients at the same time. She wasn't even sure they knew she was in Gryffindor with them.

It wasn't their fault, she had never tried to talk to them, in the six years they had been to Hogwarts together she didn't really want to approach or be approached by them. They were just so intimidating.

Handsome, rich, charismatic, and not to mention bloody hilarious.

No, Jane was much happier being in the background and enjoying the fun from afar. Seeing other people happy made her happy. That was how she always was. Her best friend Astra Fawley, was a Ravenclaw and one of the best friends Jane had ever had. They hit it off in second year after they became partners in Divination. Astra was the yin to Jane's yang, and they spent most of their time in a corner of the library laughing over books and telling inside jokes.

Jane truly owed a lot to her. Astra was a pureblood witch from a very old and long line of witches. Her and her family had been deemed blood traitors after her cousin Maurice decided he wanted to marry a muggle-born witch. Her parents had always had issues with the "superiority complex" that purebloods like the Malfoys and Black's had towards muggle-borns.

Since Jane herself was a muggle-born Astra made it her own personal job to educate Jane on the in's and out's of the magical world.

James and Sirius walked up to the counter.

She could do this.

Jane smiled and nodded in recognition.

"Hullo Boys" she said in a sweet voice.

They both grinned back, but both had eyes glued on the chalkboard menu.

Patiently she waited for them to realize who she was and nod in recognition.

She barely contained a frown when James looked in her eyes and ordered a small black coffee.

Nothing.

Six years and he can't even recognize a girl in his own house. She went to every quidditch game for crying out loud. There were only like eight Gryffindor girls in their year. Surely it wasn't that hard to remember a few faces.

Fine.

If that was how it is going to be.

She barely contained her anger while Sirius ordered.

"Erm i'll take the same" he shrugged while eyeballing a couple of girls sitting at a nearby booth.

Fine, two could play at that game.

"Name?" she nearly spat.

Sirius turned to look at her then glanced at James conspiratorially

"Elvendork." He said with amusement. His silver eyes sparkled from behind his overgrown bangs. The rest of his hair was nearly touching his shoulders.

She swallowed what anger she had and wrote it on his cup.

"I'll have that right out".

She expected them to walk away, but they stood there waiting.

Now, Jane was not one to let her temper get the best of her but she was starting to become quite irritated with the two.

She gestured them to lean forward and whispered quietly

"In muggle coffee shops you pick up your drink at the end of the bar" and nearly cracked a smile at their shocked faces.

Before they could say anything else she walked from the counter and tore off her apron.

All she heard when she walk out was Sirius's voice drifting in

"I that one of your bird's Prongs? Like that Hufflepuff that worked at that sandwich shop in Diagon Alley that threw pumpkins juice all over you?"

Jane all but slammed the door on her way out.


	2. The Great Epiphany of 1976

_"_ _I stitch together my life from hand me downs and good advice that finally fit me"- Rachel Platten_

It took well over five blocks for Jane to calm down and stop cursing "bloody Potter" and "that slimy git Black". She fought the wind all the way home, and even had to stop twice to retie her thick hair. Soon she leveled her head and approached a small house with red bricks and white shutters.

Wiping her feet she walked in.

"Hullo? Mum! Dad! I'm home from work!"

Her old cat Binx rushed down the stairs to greet her. He rubbed her leg and nearly made her topple over.

That fat cat would be the death of her. With orange fur stretched over his overweight body he looked like he could have been part Kneazle.

He snored like one.

Nobody answered, then she remembered that both of them were at a work party for her mother's school.

Her mum had taught school since before she was born, and had even taught Jane until she turned eleven. Her school had been tiny and very closely knit enough so that she still talked to a few students who happened to live nearby.

She searched the living room for her thick green jumper and began walking to the house three doors down.

To call her and Lily Evans friends was a bit of an overstatement. They had been neighbors for about a year, ever since Lily had moved from Cokeworth. She figured that it would be only right to warn the poor girl that James and Sirius were on a manhunt for her.

It wasn't that Lily was not a nice girl, but the fact that she and Jane had different interests.

Lily was focused on grades and friends and being Head Girl.

Jane was grade oriented, yes, but she was the quiet type and all she needed was Astra to dispel her secrets to.

She took a big breath before she knocked on the door.

It barely cracked opened before a white hand reached out and yanked her inside.

Talk about some serious whiplash.

"What the he-"

He protests died out as she saw Lily put a finger over her mouth.

She moved her hand and opened the blinds a millimeter, her green eyes scanning the area.

"So I guess you heard about Black and Potter."

Lily grimaced so violently it almost looked like it would be permanent.

"Yeah Marlene got to me before you, so I have been on high alert. They are quite literally unstoppable." She snipped still scanning her well-manicured lawn suspiciously.

It wasn't hard to forget how deeply she hated Potter and his friends. Well except for Remus perhaps, and occasionally Pettigrew.

She turned to me and her grimace fell.

"Sorry about grabbing you, I just don't need Potter aware of where I hang my cloak," She apologized.

"Its fine Evans, I just thought you might want to know they were looking for you. They came into Cup of Joe thinking they could catch you getting your caffeine fix" I smiled empathetically.

Her eyes widened in panic, "They didn't ask you about me did they? Oh Merlin I should just go into the muggle witness protection," she massaged her temples.

I shook my head and looked down a bit, "Actually they didn't even recognize me, so you don't have to worry," I frowned.

She looked gob smacked. Like eyes wide, jaw open, and eyebrows up in shock.

"You are kidding me Willems," she looked at me in sympathy, "Those prats are so far up their own arses that they cannot remember a girl they have had classes with for six years".

She honestly looked angrier that I was. Her cheeks flushed red and her green eyes narrowed.

I reached out and touched her shoulder, "It ok Evans really, it is not like I have really tried to get on with them either, besides I spend most of my time out of our common room anyway with Astra in the library so I don't see them much anyways, and besides I'm pretty sure Remus knows my name…" I trailed off.

I could see her brain forming a plan.

I nearly ran out of the house when she looked at me with and devious smile and said "How would you like to change that Willems?"

She explained her plan in explicit detail, and I had to admit it was brilliant. It would rid her Potter problem and take all of their egos down a notch or twenty.

Two bird's one stone.

It was seventh year and I had nothing to lose.

Somebody had to teach them a lesson in humility, why not me?

I sighed then looked at her solemnly.

Nodding I said to her in a serious tone, "Hogwarts may not survive this one Evans."

She smiled, "Don't worry Willems it'll hold, it's those Marauders that will crumble."

We shook hand then I snuck out the back door to my house.

Astra was going to have a fit when she heard what Evans and I cooked up.


End file.
